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The research investigates the impact of conflicting role obligations on the aspirations for postgraduate education among administrative staff in higher education institutions (HEIs). It subsequently presents a conceptual framework aimed at enhancing comprehension of the obstacles and incentives linked to inter-role conflicts in regard to postgraduate ambitions inside higher education institutions. Utilising illustrative case data and employing a qualitative systematic literature review approach, the research investigates the impact of conflicting role demands on individuals' motivation and ability to attain advanced academic levels. Anchored on Role Conflict Theory, Boundary Theory, and the Conservation of Resources Theory, which together address role interference, domain permeability, and resource depletion, the research investigates how perceived conflicts within study domains influence aspirations for postgraduate pursuits. Research indicates that occupational stress combined with personal and familial obligations presents considerable obstacles to academic progress, while simultaneously driving individuals to seek postgraduate education as a means of career enhancement and professional development. The research emphasises the dual function of conflict as both a motivator and a limitation in influencing postgraduate educational ambitions. Despite the constraints posed by the lack of literature specifically addressing postgraduate ambitions among administrative staff in higher education institutions, the research provides significant exploratory perspectives on the lived experiences of this underexplored demographic and underscores the necessity for institutional measures that facilitate a balance between work and study. The study offers a cohesive conceptual framework that connects conflicting inter-role tensions to intentions for postgraduate studies, thereby making a significant contribution to career development research and laying the groundwork for future empirical studies within the administrative sector of higher education

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated hybrid work adoption, essentially altering line managers' roles as they navigate supervising geographically dispersed teams. Despite widespread implementation, limited qualitative research examines how managers adapt their leadership practices within this evolving work model. This study explored the perceived challenges, opportunities, and leadership adaptations amongst line managers in hybrid settings, aiming to reveal factors that enhance leadership capability, team performance, and strategic HR practices. Inadequate understanding of managerial perceptions hinders evidence-based leadership development tailored for hybrid contexts. Line managers experience increased stress managing distributed teams whilst balancing flexibility with accountability, yet empirical research focusing on their experiences remains scarce. Adopting an interpretivist paradigm, this generic qualitative study conducted semi-structured interviews with 12 line managers from diverse sectors possessing at least two years of managerial experience supervising hybrid teams. Manual thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke's (2006) framework identified recurring patterns. Four themes emerged: challenges characterised by a trust-visibility paradox requiring structured communication and output-based monitoring; leadership opportunities demanding trust-based, emotionally intelligent, digitally fluent approaches; transformed practices shifting from presence-based to performance-based supervision; and critical organisational support needs including emotional intelligence training and clear hybrid policies.  Organisations must implement targeted interventions including hybrid-specific leadership development programmes, formalised communication protocols, output-based performance systems, and systematic wellbeing support.

This study explored the work-life balance experiences of nurse educators at a nursing education institution in Gauteng, South Africa. Using a qualitative, descriptive design, 16 purposively sampled nurse educators participated in semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis revealed two main themes: Transition Challenges and Work-Life Balance Interference. Participants faced difficulties adapting to academic roles, leading to strained relationships and social isolation. Academic demands also led to neglect of personal and social obligations, disrupting the work-life balance. The findings highlight the complex challenges of transitioning from clinical practice to academia, which can negatively impact well-being. The study emphasises the need for institutions to implement supportive strategies to improve nurse educators’ work-life balance.

This study examined the coping strategies of teachers to manage the intersection of work and family duties, emphasizing their challenge and stress coping strategies in both domains. The research was based on a qualitative research design grounded on the interpretivism paradigm that aims to interpret human experiences from the participant's point of view. Utilizing a phenomenological study design with descriptive, contextual, and exploratory aspects, the study explored teachers' everyday life experiences, using semi-structured interviews to collect data. The study assessed how professionals balance professional and family obligations, noting the coping processes they implement to alleviate stress and achieve equilibrium. Findings indicated that teachers utilize adaptive coping processes, such as proficient time management, seeking help, and maintaining segregation between work and family obligations. Social support networks, including colleagues, relatives, and community groups, were pivotal in offering emotional support and practical help. In addition, teachers also outlined the deployment of personal resilience and ordering strategies to sustain their well-being. The study highlights the significance of teachers comprehending the dynamic interplay between professional and family life by illuminating how institutional support and policy action could strengthen their coping ability. These results add to the general discourse on teacher satisfaction and work-life balance by urging professional support structures in school and home environments.

Currently, South African government departments is inundated with common dire predicaments prominently manifested in the form of lack of punctuality, frequent leave requests, lack of engagement and poor management of employee wellbeing, resulting in high absenteeism rates. Flexible working schedules ameliorate the level of contentment and performance, which has been discovered to benefit both the employer and employee. There are limited previous studies done in the South African Public Sector on the subject of adopting flexibility conditions in the workplace. The empirical evidence on the subject is still sparse for the transitional economy like South Africa. Hence, this study sought to investigate the flexible work arrangements in the public organisation. The study adopted an exploratory design and a qualitative approach. A qualitative research approach was chosen for the study because it provided an opportunity to explore the research objectives in greater detail. The sample size and strategy used comprised organising focus group interviews as well as individual interviews, using a sample of 10 participants from different levels of the organisation. The findings of the study revealed that offering flexibility could help and support the emotional health of the employees. The study also found that a call for a flexible work strategy is of interest to most employees as it provides work-life balance. The organisation should consider implementing and making provision for flexible working arrangements which in turn improve job fulfilment, increase work and life, motivate employees, reduce absenteeism and increasing the quality of service delivery at all organisational levels.

Shift work has become a necessity in various professions, including law enforcement, to ensure the continuous operation of essential services. The implementation of 12-hour shifts has become common practice in police departments, aiming to meet the demands of public safety. However, the implications of such extended work periods on the personal lives of police officers are significant and warrant exploration. This study focuses on examining the effects of a 12-hour shift schedule on police officers within the South African Police Service (SAPS) stationed in the City of Tshwane, Gauteng province, South Africa. Through qualitative research methods, data was collected from eight police officers with a minimum of two years of experience through face-to-face interviews. Thematic content analysis was used to analyse the data systematically. Findings reveal that the 12-hour shift system presents challenges in maintaining a healthy work-life balance, impacting officers' social and familial responsibilities, participation in cultural and religious activities, and overall well-being. Officers expressed concerns about fatigue, limited time for family and leisure activities, and conflicts with personal commitments. Addressing these challenges is crucial for enhancing the health and effectiveness of police personnel and ensuring a positive work-life balance. This study contributes to the existing body of knowledge by shedding light on the nuanced effects of the 12-hour shift system on police officers' personal lives, particularly in the South African context. Recommendations were also made to address the effects of the shift system on officer’s personal life.

The objective of this study is to examine the effects of remote work arrangements implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic on the equilibrium between work and personal life among employees in Botswana. The case of the Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS) will be utilized as a specific context for analysis. The study utilized a descriptive qualitative research approach, including in-depth interviews with a sample of 18 employees from BURS who were engaged in remote work throughout the COVID-19 lockdown period. These interviews were done in order to collect relevant data for the study. An alternative sampling method, namely non-probability sampling, was employed to pick a sample size of 18 employees from the BURS organization. The collected data was subsequently subjected to thematic analysis for the purpose of analysis. The findings of the research indicate that employees reported numerous advantages, including increased sleep duration and enhanced concentration. They also highlighted the benefits of having flexibility and autonomy in a home environment, free from the distractions typically encountered in open-office settings. However, the study also identified certain challenges, such as disruptions caused by family members and feelings of isolation. The study suggests that further research should be conducted to examine the effects of remote work in Botswana. This research would provide valuable insights for policymakers in navigating the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic and its aftermath.

During the initial years of the 1990s, there was an expectation that the practice of working from home (WFH) would become a customary mode of work, offering advantages to organizations in terms of job performance and employee contentment. The concept of working from home (WFH) has gained significant traction in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, primarily because to its potential to ensure the continuity of organizations under certain circumstances. The primary objective of this study is to examine the effects of remote work arrangements implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic on the various dimensions of employee well-being in Botswana. Specifically, the case of the Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS) will be utilized as a focal point for analysis. The study utilized a descriptive qualitative research approach, including in-depth interviews to collect data from a sample of 18 employees of BURS who were engaged in remote work during the COVID-19 lockdown. The researchers employed a non-probability sampling technique and conducted a theme analysis to analyze the data. The findings of the research suggest that working from home (WFH) offers several advantages, including the ability to sleep for extended periods and enhanced concentration. Additionally, the flexibility and autonomy provided by working from home allow individuals to avoid distractions commonly encountered in open-office environments. However, the study also highlights certain challenges associated with WFH, such as disruptions caused by family members and feelings of isolation. The study suggests the need for further research to be conducted on the effects of remote employment in Botswana. This research would provide valuable insights for policymakers in navigating the challenges posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and its aftermath.

The COVID-19 pandemic prompted a widespread shift towards remote work, driven by the imperative of social distancing. This transition has compelled organizations and individuals worldwide to explore alternative employment arrangements. Botswana, like many other nations, witnessed a significant uptake of remote work, leading to the formulation of remote work policies by numerous institutions. To ensure the viability of these policies, it is essential to consider their practicality for both companies and employees. The pandemic offered institutions such as the Botswana Unified Revenue Service (BURS) an opportunity to investigate the efficacy of working-from-home (WFH) arrangements, which could play a pivotal role in shaping future labor policies to accommodate flexible working hours. This study leverages data from BURS to scrutinize the impact of WFH during the COVID-19 pandemic on employee productivity in Botswana. Employing descriptive qualitative research methods and conducting in-depth interviews with 18 BURS personnel who experienced WFH during the lockdown, the study employs theme analysis and non-probability sampling to analyze the collected data. The findings reveal that WFH contributed to increased employee productivity, underscoring the importance of allocating adequate resources to optimize WFH performance in organizations.

The multiple roles individuals face, especially in modern families, often lead to role conflicts that can affect individual satisfaction and well-being. Role conflicts can arise between work, family, and school roles, resulting in high work stress. This study aims to analyze the effect of work-family conflict and work-school conflict on turnover intention and the role of work stress as a mediating variable in the relationship. Data was collected through questionnaires distributed to students who worked and had multiple roles as parents. The results showed that role conflict between work-family and work-school positively and significantly influenced the intention to change jobs. In addition, work stress was also found to be a mediating variable mediating the relationship between role conflict and the intention to switch jobs.

Women shoulder the dual responsibilities of managing their households and professional commitments. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has introduced a new working model that has blurred these roles. Even before the pandemic, women encountered numerous barriers in the workplace, and the pandemic may have exacerbated these challenges. Therefore, it is essential to explore this topic further. This study aims to investigate women's experiences in the workplace during the COVID-19 pandemic, utilising a qualitative approach within an exploratory and interpretivist paradigm. The research adopts a case study methodology focusing on one of South Africa's leading banks, with women from different levels of seniority selected for sampling. From September 2021 to February 2022, interviews were conducted with fifteen women from the case study bank using Microsoft Teams. Thematic analysis was employed to analyse the collected data, resulting in four themes and thirteen sub-themes. The first theme explores changes in the working model, while the second theme delves into organisational support. The third theme focuses on continued career growth, and the final theme addresses work-life conflict. The findings indicate that women in the case organisation perceive the remote working model as advantageous, increasing productivity and facilitating the integration of their professional and personal roles. However, a drawback of this new arrangement is the emergence of work-life conflict as work responsibilities intrude upon their personal lives. Although the case organisation provided some support, there is room for improvement. This study offers valuable insights for the financial services sector regarding women's experiences and areas that require enhancement within the industry. By shedding light on women's workplace experiences during the COVID-19 pandemic, this research contributes to the existing knowledge and presents a conceptual model for organisations to support female employees working remotely.

The objective of the study is to assess how industry professionals perceive the implementation of flexible work arrangements (FWA) and what challenges are likely to enable or hinder its adoption in Indonesian companies. We conducted an intensive qualitative study for three months, guided by phenomenology, with 15 industry professionals representing multi-sectorial industries, as respondents. Laddered open-ended interviewing using two series of focus group discussions was employed. Thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. Our findings show that industry professionals are in favor of FWA due to the many benefits it could bring to the employees like work-life balance, health and safety, flexible hours, convenience and comfort, and efficiency in the utilization of office space facilities.

Remarking on the importance of managing the existential conflict between work and family responsibilities, emphasis on female academics in a COVID-19 era in Nigeria has received diminutive research attention. The study seeks to address this research gap by interrogating women's views of work-life conflict narrative in a COVID-19 era. The exploratory research design was employed to expand the limit of the research gap and a total of 19 female academics were y recruited for interviews. The NVivo (v.12) qualitative software was employed to identify themes from the data and content analysis used to make sense of the various themes. The paper shows evidence of cultural bias in the recruitment and placement of female academics with social constraints hindering female academic capacity development. The long hours of teaching and consultation depict an indicator of work-life conflict with consequences on family support and emotional care for family and dependents. The need to acquire higher education qualifications on the part of females is also established as a pointer for the provocation of work-life conflict during the COVID-19 pandemic. The significance of lockdown constitutes major constraints for parenting mothers in the areas of combining home front responsibilities with work activities such as teaching, supervision, and the requirement of building a competitive career and research portfolio. The study concludes for a more robust measure in ensuring practical and realistic work-life conflict management strategies are introduced by managers of the University in order to aid the conflict between work and family responsibilities for female academics.

Job stress affects and influences the mental, physical, and well-being of an entrepreneur. The objectives of this study were to examine the relationship between work-family conflict, role overload, and the business environment on the commitment of microentrepreneurs in Abuja. The study adopted a cross-sectional research design, data were obtained via an online survey, only the 65 questionnaires were returned. Data were analyzed using SPSS 23 and hypotheses were tested with linear regression. Findings from the study indicate a positive relationship between work-family conflict, role overload, and work environment. and the study recommended that future studies should enlarge the sample size of this study and identify other job stress variable that was not included in this study.

In this study, the extent of flexible working patterns beginning to replace the conventional working models is examined in companies in Turkey and Germany and the extent of flexible working patterns in the two countries is compared. The objectives of the study are to determine the prevalence of these patterns and to find out the similarities and differences regarding flexible working in the two countries. The flexible working patterns focused on in this study are weekend work, shiftwork, overtime work, part-time work, job sharing, flexitime, fixed-term contracts, home-based work, telecommuting, and compressed workweeks. The research, which is designed with the last round database of the CRANET Survey on Comparative Human Resource Management Research, includes the companies in Turkey and Germany of the 35 participating countries (154 companies from Turkey and 278 companies from Germany which makes a total of 432 companies). In the findings section, first of all, the prevalence of each flexible working pattern in the two countries has been presented. Chi-square analysis has been conducted for each of the flexible working patterns to find out if there are any significant differences in the prevalence of these models in the two countries. As a result, it is determined that the extent of the nine flexible working patterns differed in the two countries. This is to say that the prevalence of several flexible working patterns ensuring the work-life balance of the employees is higher in Germany whereas flexible patterns used for economic reasons and do not add value to the work-life balance of the employees are usually prevalent in Turkey. The only similarity between the two countries is the use of home-based work.  

This research aims to analyze the direct and indirect effect of work-family conflict on performance and career development of married women bank employees. Work-family conflict is measured by using the indicator of work affect to family and family affect to work while performance is measured using indicators assessments: quality of work,  punctuality, attitude, and effectiveness. Career development is measured by indicators of education, training, reward and punishment, family support, and rotation. All assessment is based on self-evaluations.   Purposive sampling is used of 38 married women employees working in the state-owned bank, and using path analysis of PLS (partial least square) as a statistical analysis measurement combining with qualitative analysis to describe the results of statistical analysis for each independent variable and its effects on the dependent variable. The result of this study showed that work-family conflict has a negative effect on performance and career development. But performance has an insignificant effect on career development.